A Chosen Should Sanctify Himself

BIBLE STUDY #631–CHURCH IN THE HOUSES WEEK OF APRIL 6- 12, 2010

Topic: “A Chosen Should Sanctify Himself” John 17:19 Jesus, when praying to the Father and while interceding for his disciples, says that the world abominated them because they do not belong to this world. John 17:14 If they had belonged to the world, the world would love them, because outside of God and his ways the worldly things are loved and accepted. But they are not loved because they are God’s chosen, it was Him who chose them. That is why He says: “…before I chose them from this world.” Ephesians 1:4,5 shows that God’s purpose in choosing those of us who will follow and serve him is his love. “For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…” Those who listen to the Word of this gospel and believe are chosen. (1 Thessalonians 1:4) Many men and women do not want to believe in the Lord because of their incredulity, they choose condemnation for their own lives. We are to know that we are chosen to be sanctified in Christ. This does not mean that by being chosen we don’t have to sanctify ourselves. We can clearly see this in Judah who was one of the twelve disciples. He was a companion, but that bag of money tempted him so much that this became his problem. Every temptation is human, but sanctification will not allow us to fall. Judah fell because of his lack of sanctification. In John 6:70 Jesus says: “Have I not chosen you, the twelve and one of you is a devil”. Judah did not share Jesus’ faith as well as the others; therefore, that was the devil in his life. Jesus made this clear to Peter, not to Judah. Jesus is holy in his personal character. So, by using the word “sanctify” in this biblical text is to show that He was separated for the work that the Father left him. With that scarifying death Jesus devoted himself for the Father’s will. Jesus turned away from all his glory and in that separation He went all the way until His glorifying death. His sanctification is the model and power for our sanctification. Judah, doing the contrary, did not separate himself for what he was chosen. God speaks well of us, the chosen. He praised you and separated you for Him. But you, beloved, should know that you have to separate yourself for Him. Jesus is the example; He separated himself for the work requested by His Father. You cannot say that you dispose of your life as you wish because that is what Judah’s did. You can’t say: “I will go this way or that way”. See how Jesus sanctified himself, He separated himself for the Father’s work and we are his followers and disciples to do as He did. You were chosen, if you do as you wish then you will become a Judah; from a chosen he turned into a traitor. Careful! 1 Corinthians 1:2 We invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. That church was separated from the world for God. If you are separated for God you are far away from the worldly things. The worldly give you advice, and their opinions, but you are already separated for God. Therefore, you separated yourself from this sinful and dirty world. In your walk you show your passion, you show how much you have really done to have and maintain that separation. By living a holy life day after day you continue to separate yourself for your God. Some pretend the sanctification to be a concrete deed of the grace in which a person obtains the total elimination of the sinful nature. It is not that easy, otherwise, any worldly person could say he is a Christian and that he can invoke the Lord’s name, but his voice will not be heard in Heaven; he has to have sanctification in his life. 2 Timothy 2:21 lets us see that we have to cleanse ourselves from the worldly things. Verse 19 says: “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from the wickedness.” We have to live in sanctity. Careful, the fall arrives to those who are careless! There has to be a separation from the evil men, the false teachers, the common people (los vasos de deshonra). Hymenaeus and Philetus were not people of faith or of the church. There has to be a separation from the contamination of the evil doctrines in order to be separated for God. We are separated from evilness for God’s service, which is what Jesus told his disciples to be willing for all good deeds. 1 Peter 1:2 In the election we can see the sanctification of the Spirit. In the eternity God acknowledged in advance and praised men. In time the Holy Spirit operates to make this election real in people’s lives. The sanctification of the Spirit places you in a holy position to be separated for God. Therefore, you do not belong to the flesh or to the devil. Well, that is what I expect. You will be a participant of His glory; this does not happen in the world but in your separation thru the Spirit. Amen.